ORANGERY. 



701 



ceeded best in growing this tribe for their fruit 

 maintain a temperature of 50° as the minimum 

 during winter, and from 80° to 90°, accompanied 

 with a moist atmosphere, during summer. If 

 the temperature be kept high during the grow- 

 ing season, it must necessarily be kept compa- 

 ratively high during the season of rest, the 

 growth of the orange tribe never being totally 

 stopped, if they are not starved, or otherwise 

 mismanaged. Water should be administered 

 rather sparingly to the roots of plaDted-out 

 trees, the necessary syringings over the foliage 

 being nearly sufficient : nor should they be so 

 abundantly supplied with stimulating manure 

 as when confined within the limits of pots or 

 tubs. In the latter case, a stronger soil, and 

 that frequently supplied with enrichment, be- 

 comes necessary on account of the limited range 

 to which the roots are confined. The branches 

 should also be kept moderately thin if trained 

 to trellises, that the surface of the leaves may 

 be fully exposed to the sun. The fruit being in 

 general produced on the points of the small 

 spurs or branchlets, care must be taken that 

 these be not shortened, unless it be with a view 

 to increase their number. The operation of 

 pruning extends over the whole season, cutting 

 out the old and superfluous branches, and laying 

 in a succession of young ones. This tribe often 

 suffers much from being allowed to carry too 

 large a crop of fruit ; and as the young green 

 fruit is used for confectionary purposes, a judi- 

 cious thinning should take place as soon as they 

 arrive at the size of a small walnut. 



Propagation. — The orange is propagated freely 

 by seed, but in this way they require from 3 

 to 4 years' cultivation before they flower. The 

 seed is sown in rich soil, in pots plunged in a 

 mild bottom-heat ; and when the plants have 

 attained the height of 4 to 5 inches, they should 

 be potted singly in rich pretty strong loamy 

 soil, in pots of 4 inches in diameter. If intended 

 to produce fruit, the leading shoot should be 

 carefully preserved until it has attained the 

 height of the desired stem, at which time it 

 should be topped, to cause side branches to be 

 produced. Seedling oranges are, however, for 

 the most part, grown for stocks on which to bud 

 or graft approved sorts. Stocks for this purpose 

 are preferred when originated from seed of the 

 Shaddock, and next to them the Citron, on 

 account of their more rapid growth and greater 

 size. Like all other fruit-bearing trees, the 

 chances of improved sorts from seed are very 

 precarious. 



Propagation by cuttings. — All the Citrus tribe 

 strike readily by cuttings, and under good man- 

 agement make excellent trees, coming early into 

 bearing. Forthis purpose cuttings are taken from 

 the strongest young shoots. As soon as the lower 

 part is somewhat mature, they are cut into 9-inch 

 lengths, the bottom leaves being removed as far 

 as the cutting is to be inserted in the soil, but 

 the greatest care must be taken that those above 

 that be left entire and uninjured. The cutting 

 should be made transversely across, with a sharp 

 knife, close under a bud — that is, where a leaf 

 has been growing. Insert them to the depth 

 of 4 or 5 inches in a pot filled with clean silvery 

 VOL. II. 



sand, giving them a gentle watering to settle the 

 sand firmly around them ; they should then be 

 plunged in a close frame, kept well shaded in a 

 mild bottom-heat, and in this state they are to 

 remain until they are rooted. This is indicated, 

 in general, by the cutting beginning to extend 

 in length, at which time they should be carefully 

 removed from the pot, and planted separately in 

 pots of from 4 to 5 inches in diameter, using 

 rich and rather stiff loamy soil ; but, in potting, 

 a little lighter and sandier soil should be placed 

 around the roots, in which they will strike freely, 

 and afterwards extend into the stronger soil. 

 After this potting they will be greatly stimu- 

 lated in growth if replunged again in a mild 

 bottom-heat, and shaded for a few days ; after- 

 wards they should be fully exposed to light and 

 a moderate amount of air. Some propagators 

 make use of wood of the previous year's growth 

 for cuttings; and others, in both cases, use cut- 

 tings from 18 inches to 2 feet in length — and this 

 more especially with the Citron, which strikes 

 more freely than any other of the tribe. It is 

 of apparently little consequence at what season 

 the cuttings are put in, if the dead of winter be 

 avoided, and while the plants are making young 

 wood. 



Propagation by layers. — Seldom practised in 

 Britain. Plants produced in this way do not 

 make such handsome trees as those propagated 

 by seed, cuttings, budding, or grafting. 



Propagation by grafting. — The whip method 

 {vide fig. 100) is usually employed, and the 

 stock should be young and healthy — say one or 

 at most two years' growth, from seed, and about 

 the same thickness as the scion ; so that, after 

 the union takes place, no blemish may appear 

 on the stem; and the operation should be per- 

 formed within 6 inches of the ground. In such 

 a way nice healthy trees will be produced, hav- 

 ing clean stems from 1 to 3 feet in height. The 

 plants should be kept in a close frame or pit 

 until the union has fairly taken place ; and if the 

 stock is slightly stimulated at the same time, 

 by being plunged in a moderate bottom-heat, 

 the union will be more speedily accomplished. 

 Indeed, any of the ordinary methods of grafting 

 may be employed, the great object to be kept in 

 view being to have the scion and stock of nearly 

 the same size. Some graft the young seedlings 

 sown in spring the following autumn, as, under 

 good cultivation, they will be fit for this in six 

 or seven months. No clay is used, but a little 

 fine moss is placed over the point of union, and 

 many only secure the scion to the stock with two 

 or three rounds of soft woollen yarn. Some cut 

 off the head of the stock and crown-graft, while 

 others attach the scion to the growing shoot, 

 and cut off the head after the union has taken 

 place. Inarching is frequently practised, aud by 

 this means large-headed plants can be speedily 

 obtained, as well as various sorts made to grow 

 on the same stem. 



Propagation by budding. — This is the usual 

 method employed by the Italians, who insert, in 

 general, a bud on each side of the stem, which 

 is usually 4 feet high, and often from 1 to 2 

 inches in diameter. The stock is cut horizon- 

 tally off at that height, and, as may be supposed, 



4u 



